And let’s not even bring up the board games, like Betrayal at the House on the Hill or Star Wars: Imperial Assault!

Here’s the problem with all these cool games out there: what if I invest time, attention, and energy into a game that I end up disliking? Is it just going to sit up there on my shelf unplayed? Am I going to wish I hadn’t bothered in the first place? In the end, it seems like finding games that fit me should be easier!

But hear me clearly: it doesn’t have to be this hard to find a new game to enjoy! Here’s how you can pick a new game that will not only deepen and diversify your fun, but possibly even strengthen your local gaming community:

It appears that I struck a real chord with Tuesday’s article on player character death. Why did so many GMs and players respond so passionately to my post? Because players sometimes get mad at GMs when their characters die.

Not all players and not always. But it does happen and it creates tension at the tabletop, when players are angry over their characters’ deaths.

Another final shot of our fallen comrade. RIP Elder Cunningham. FWIW, the beholder there is actually a giant snake. I wouldn’t do that to Level 2 adventurers!

One particular response (from @theTinyGM on Twitter) took exception to my use of the word “threat” in relation to PC death. Her concern was that the language of a threat might set up a confrontational relationship between GM and player. Of course, nothing could be further from my intention.

But it raises the question: can GMs create conflict and challenges for PCs–can they “threaten” the livelihood of adventurers–without creating a confrontational atmosphere? I’m convinced you can! If I can pull it off, you can too!

Here are the three steps you can take to create a challenging situation that will end in nothing but fun and mutual respect at your gaming table:

I’m ashamed to say it was Ted. Yes, the Mark Wahlberg movie with Peter Griffin talking for a foul-mouthed, pot-smoking teddy bear. I was getting over a stomach virus. I needed a laugh. So sue me!

Enough about me, what was the last movie that you saw?

Twenty bucks says you had a pretty good idea how the movie would endwell before it ended! Stop and think about it. Most movies forecast the end, so that we anticipate the ending in advance. And until that expected ending comes, we’re on the edge of our seats.

But what does that have to do with gaming? A LOT. Game Masters have a lot on their plate. And one of those responsibilities is keeping their players engaged. How can we utilize this same technique used in most movies to keep our players on the edge of their seats?

D&D 5th Edition is finally coming of age. If you’re a DM just getting into the game (like myself), you have a short time before you hit option overload. The number of quality modules and campaigns being published by WotC and through the DM’s Guild is quickly getting to a saturation point, if you haven’t been working through them already.

As a DM, though, you really want to present the best gaming experience that your players can have. So where and how should you start? With the Starter Kit? With the sweet new Storm King’s Thunder campaign? Or perhaps with something new, original, and creative?

Rather than recommending a resource to you, I want to do you one better. I to help you, Dungeon Masters and Game Masters, to find your own personal game style and to choose accordingly. Here’s how:

“Fantasy as a cultural phenomenon felt vaguely unsettling to me. I wondered if pervasive escapism had infantilized an entire generation.”

So began a quest for Ethan Gilsdorf, journalist and geek par excellence. The quest: to explore every form of fantasy roleplaying games, in order to discern whether they are healthy entertainment for responsible, balanced, functional adults. He raises the same question that I’ve posed before: does growing up mean giving up gaming?

In the end, Gilsdorf names a number of reasons that tabletop RPGs in particular are healthy activities for adults–they encourage problem-solving, team-building, and creative thinking, for starters. That said, I have a followup question:

If playing tabletop RPGs is so healthy for adults, why is it so hard to find a group to play in?

I’m blessed to live in an area with an active gaming community. But I know that for many of you, that’s not the case. What’s to be done for those who lack that resource nearby?

We bring our work home with us literally, emotionally, and intellectually. We work on it at home. We stew on it at home. And we think about it at home. And we even bring our work to the gaming table.

How long does it take you to engage as a player or GM? How often do you find your mind wandering to the meeting earlier in the day? Does your work end up wandering into your headspace during your gaming, introducing unneeded distraction and stress?

If it does, it probably leaves you asking: is it possible to disconnect? Is it possible to just chill out and enjoy the evening without worrying about spreadsheets, projects, and emails?

I promise you: it is possible to disconnect. And here’s how you can do it:

Listen, I get it. I mean, I’m the guy learning AD&D 1st Edition when D&D 5e is the hottest thing in town! Even I was at my FLGS tonight flipping through those shiny, sexy 5e books. But let’s not get distracted.

You’ve got a game you want to play. So how are we going to get your game on the table?

I’m not talking about the lawful good paladin who is appalled at his colleagues activities. I’m not even talking about the player feeling some moral guilt over their character’s questionable chaotic evil decisions.

I’m talking about guilt over what you’re missing back home.

The fact of the matter is, many of you have significant others, spouses, even children back home while you’re gaming. And if truth be told, between work and other responsibilities you don’t feel like you’ve spent enough time with them.

Yet here you are, away from them, playing a game and feeling kind of guilty. In the end, it raises a question that I’ve heard put many different ways:

Does growing up mean giving up gaming?

As a husband, father, and (thus far still employed) member of the workforce, I want you to know that growing up does not mean giving up gaming.

When it comes to this question of guilt when gaming, here are three steps to help you improve the situation:

Well, OK, you can read this particular post. But I’m getting at a much larger issue, which is: for whic readers is MadCleric.com, this blog, intended?

And my answer begins with a story…

Last Sunday, I got the kind of text I love to receive. An old friend with whom I never gamed asking the question, “What do I need to get so me and my friends can learn D&D?” And instantly, I was faced with a conundrum:

Do I direct him to AD&D 1e or to the shiny new 5th edition?

And with a weight of guilt upon my shoulders, I texted back, “You should definitely get the 5th edition Starter Set.” And I hung my head in defeat. How could this be?! I’m the Mad Cleric! The defender and proponent of AD&D 1e against detractors everywhere! I’m the guy that’s bringing it back!

And then I had a realization: my journey is not for this particular friend. He’s a first time tabletop roleplayer. His friends are in the same category. And what do they need? A good, solid, clear, and fun high fantasy roleplaying game. And, dammit, that’s fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. There’s no buts about it. In the end, he’s chasing a different dragon than I am.

The dragon I’m chasing is a much more elusive dragon. A dragon from the darkest hidden dungeons of the late seventies and early eighties. I’m seeking the dragon of nostalgia. I’m seeking to recreate the uncreatable. I’m wanting to peer into the past and experience what they experienced. It’s not that my friend couldn’t handle AD&D 1e. But it’s not the game (or dragon) that he’s looking for. Which leads to a question:

Who’s looking for the same dragon that I am?

Here’s who’s looking for the same dragon: the people that should be reading this blog twice a week. Here they are!

Gamers who haven’t been playing and want to experience something of yesteryear

Gamers who have played the spectrum of modern RPGs, but have never gone back to the beginning

D&D players who’ve never dabbled with first edition

People who are simply interested in AD&D 1e or my journey in it

Of course, experienced AD&D DMs/players who can help direct me on this journey

So if you’re one of these five people, please continue reading this blog. And pass it on to your friends. I’d love to see a community of gamers gathering around this idea of going back and experiencing what AD&D 1e offered so gloriously to the gamers of the past.

So please, dear friends, keep passing on your gaming questions, even if they lead to other games and other systems. And of course, keep on chasing that dragon…whatever your dragon may be.

What’s your gaming dragon right now? Are you digging into AD&D 1e with me? Or do you have something else right now that’s got your goat? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter!

I am addicted to information. And that addiction is beneficial when it comes to gaming, for there are more games than could ever be learned. As soon as I get the grasp of one game, I’ve got another book on my bedside table to consume. I know I’m not the only learner out there!

I want to learn with you.

I am a connector. I connect with people. I connect people with others. And I connect the dots with people. As a person energized by relationships, I learn best in community with others. Thus, when it comes to games, I don’t want to learn them in isolation. I want you to learn as I learn.

I am a communicator.

As a collector of information, I have learned to process, repackage, and redistribute that information. And this goes hand-in-hand with my desire for you to learn. I don’t aim to be the end-all, be-all expert. No, I want to pass along what I’m learning, so that you can learn too!

I enjoy the game.

It’s not one specific game–it’s the process of gaming itself. Thus, I am perpetually open to a new possibility. Always looking for that new game, that new experience, that new process of learning. As a result, I find it easy to see the good in most games. Because in the end, I love the game.

I am a mad cleric.

I’m not mad, as in angry. I’m just kind of strange–mad like a hatter. How so? I’m a husband and father of two, who still hangs out at the comic shop. I’m a pastor (a cleric, if you like), who loves the honesty and openness of the gaming community. I love to break stereotypes, wherever able. You might even call me mad.

I hope this strikes a chord with you, O gamer who has stumbled upon my site. I’d like you to join me on a quest to learn a new game. Or perhaps a new way of gaming. After all, that’s what I’m all about: learning the game together.